Closing Cap for Containers

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a closing cap for containers, particularly intended for containers that have an opening in a neck provided with an outer threaded portion, comprising a lower ring intended for being coupled to the neck of the container and an upper cap having an inner threaded region configured for being coupled to the outer threaded portion of a container neck, the upper cap and the lower ring being articulated to each other by means of a hinged portion, such that the lower ring is formed by an annular-shaped body. Said lower ring has a section with a diameter larger than the remaining section of the annular-shaped body, wherein the hinged portion is located in the section with the larger diameter.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present application is to provide a closing cap forcontainers.

More specifically, the invention proposes the development of a closingcap for containers with environmental advantages as regards therecycling of containers with a cap, as well as advantages in themanufacturing process thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the sector of packaging food products (solid, liquid, viscoussubstances, etc.), closing caps made from plastic material have beenused for many years, which are provided with an inner thread able to bethreaded in a cut formed in the neck of the container itself, enablingthe contents inside the container to be kept airtight, for example, inthe case of a bottle of the type used for bottling beverages, such asmineral water, soft drinks or the like.

Although this system used is very practical for the user and relativelyinexpensive for manufacturers of containers and beverages, it is not soattractive from an environmental point of view since on many occasionsthe user discards the body of the bottle independently of the cap, whichimplies that the cap is not properly recycled, generating a waste thatis non-degradable and harmful to the environment. Document no. ES1217541 is known in the state of the art, which describes a closing capfor containers that satisfactorily solves the problem raised above.

However, in practice it has been observed that it is complex tomanufacture as it requires more complex tools, for example, theincorporation of slides in the injection moulds for shaping the closingcaps, which also implies an increase in the manufacturing andmaintenance costs.

Furthermore, the applicant is currently unaware of an invention that hasall the features described in this specification.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been developed with the aim of providing aclosing cap which is configured as a novelty within the field ofapplication and solves the previously mentioned drawbacks, furthercontributing other additional advantages which will be obvious from thedescription below.

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a closing capfor containers, particularly intended for containers that have anopening in a neck provided with an outer threaded portion, comprising alower ring intended for being coupled to the neck of the container andan upper cap having an inner threaded region configured for beingcoupled to the outer threaded portion of a container neck, the upper capand the lower ring being articulated to each other by means of a hingedportion, such that the lower ring is formed by an annular-shaped body,characterised in that the lower ring has a section with a diameterlarger than the remaining section of the annular-shaped body, whereinthe hinged portion is located in the section with the larger diameter.

Thanks to these features, this design facilitates the manufacturingprocess since it can be carried out by using plastic injection mouldsdevoid of slides, which reduces investment, maintenance andmanufacturing costs, since the arrangement of these two regions withdifferent diameters enables the design of the hinged portion to besimplified.

Additionally, the closing cap includes a tamperproof seal locatedbetween the upper cap and the lower ring, which ensures that thecontainer has not been previously manipulated before use thereof by theuser.

Preferably, the tamperproof seal is made up of a plurality of breakingpoints located on a rim of the lower ring that protrudes outwards andattached to a lower edge of the upper cap.

Also preferably, the rim of the lower ring that protrudes outwards islocated in the smaller diameter section thereof.

Advantageously, the hinged portion is formed by an extension of asubstantially rectangular shape that at the upper end thereof isattached to the upper cap and at the lower end thereof is attached tothe lower ring, such extension being devoid of fold lines.

Thus, the closing cap described represents an innovative structure withstructural and constituent features heretofore unknown for its intendedpurpose, reasons which, taken together with its usefulness, provide itwith sufficient grounds for obtaining the requested exclusivityprivilege.

Other features and advantages of the closing cap for containers objectof the present invention will be evident in light of the description ofa preferred, but not exclusive, embodiment which is illustrated by wayof a non-limiting example in the drawings which are attached, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the closing cap according to theinvention, mounted on a container, in a closed condition;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the closing cap of the invention,mounted on a container, in a raised position prior to the open conditionthereof;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the upper cap shown in the precedingfigures in the raised position;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation view of the upper cap in a partially opencondition;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view of the upper cap in a completely opencondition;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the closing cap of the invention in apartially open condition from another point of view:

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a closing capaccording to the present invention, mounted on a container neck, in anopen condition; and

FIG. 8 is a lower perspective detailed view of the cap represented inFIG. 7 in a closed condition.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In light of the aforementioned figures, and in accordance with theadopted numbering, one may observe therein a preferred exemplaryembodiment of the invention, which comprises the parts and elementsindicated and described in detail below.

As shown in the attached figures, the closing cap for containers isparticularly intended for containers that have an opening in a neck(100) provided with an outer threaded portion (101), comprising a lowerring (1) intended for being coupled to the neck (100) of the containerand an upper cap (2) having an inner threaded region (20) (see FIG. 6 )configured for being coupled to the outer threaded portion (101) of thecontainer neck.

The upper cap (2) and the lower ring (1) are articulated to each otherby means of a hinged portion (3), which makes it easier for the user tomanipulate the closing cap and prevents both portions from beingseparated, as the entire set is made of a single piece of injectableplastic material.

An outer surface of the lateral face defined by the body of the uppercap has a non-smooth surface (21), for example, a knurled surface formedby ribs extending from the upper portion to the lower portion of thebody of the upper cap.

The lower ring (1) of the closing cap is made up of an annular-shapedbody and has a first section (10) with a diameter larger than a secondone (11) that corresponds to the remaining section of the annular-shapedbody, the hinged portion (3) being located in the section (10) with thelarger diameter. As can be clearly seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 , both sections(10) and (11) are attached by two curved sections (12) arrangeddiametrically opposed to each other.

It should be noted that the section with the smaller diameter has adiameter such that it is located in a region (104) defined by twocircumferential rims (102, 103) provided in the lower portion of theneck of the container, so that during the operation in which the uppercap rises to separate the upper cap (2) from the upper opening of thecontainer, the ring remains in this region at all times.

Thus, these two sections with different diameters enable a controlledstretching and subsequent return to the initial position thereof, whichenables, once the upper cap has been unscrewed, the lower ring (1) to becomfortably stretched, holding from the upper cap (2), to house aportion of the section with the larger diameter (10) and the hingedportion (3) below the lowermost circumferential rim (103) of thecontainer, as shown in FIG. 5 . In this way, the upper cap (2) isperfectly locked, as the inner face of the hinged portion (3) abuts thelower portion of the circumferential rim (103).

Returning again to the hinged portion (3), as can be seen in FIGS. 1 and2 , it is formed by an extension of a substantially rectangular shapethat at the upper end thereof is attached to the upper cap (2) and atthe lower end thereof is attached to the lower ring (1), such extensionbeing devoid of fold lines, unlike other closing cap systems known inthe current state of the art.

Additionally, the closing cap is provided with a tamperproof seallocated between the upper cap (2) and the lower ring (1). As can beseen, this tamperproof seal is made up of a plurality of breaking points(4) located on a rim (5) of the lower ring (1) that protrudes outwardsand attached to a lower edge of the upper cap (2).

As can be seen in the attached figures, the rim (5) that protrudesoutwards is located only in the smaller diameter section (11).

FIGS. 7 and 8 show a second preferred embodiment of the closing cap,wherein the same portions or parts are indicated with the same numericalreferences as in the example described above. In this second embodiment,the upper cap (2) advantageously includes an abutment means configuredfor being in contact with the circumferential rim (103) of the neck(100) in the open position of the upper cap with respect to the lowerring, so that it is ensured that the upper cap (2), when it is in theopen position, does not rotate in an undesired way by effect of thehinged portion (3) to return to the rest position thereof, that is, whenthe upper cap (2) is on top of the lower ring (1).

As can be seen, the abutment means consists of a flange (22) thatextends outwardly from the inside of the body that makes up the uppercap (2) and parallel to the hinged portion (3). As can be seen in FIG. 7, said flange (22) takes a position practically or completely parallelto a longitudinal axis of the neck itself (100) and the hinged portion(3) is housed below the circumferential rim (103).

Lastly, it should be mentioned that the smaller diameter section (11) ofthe lower ring includes a circumferential projection (13) that protrudesoutwards.

The details, shapes, dimensions and other accessory elements, used tomanufacture the closing cap of the invention, may be suitablysubstituted for others which do not depart from the scope defined by theclaims which are included below.

1. A closing cap for containers, particularly intended for containersthat have an opening in a neck provided with an outer threaded portion,comprising; a lower ring intended for being coupled to the neck of thecontainer; an upper cap having an inner threaded region configured forbeing coupled to the outer threaded portion of a container neck, theupper cap and the lower ring being articulated to each other by means ofa hinged portion such that the lower ring is formed by an annular-shapedbody, wherein the lower ring has a section with a diameter larger thanthe remaining section of the annular-shaped body, and wherein the hingedportion is located in the section with the larger diameter, and atamperproof seal between the upper cap and the lower ring, wherein thetamperproof seal is made up of a plurality of breaking points located ona rim of the lower ring that protrudes outwards and attached to a loweredge of the upper cap.
 2. (canceled)
 3. (canceled)
 4. The closing capaccording to claim 1, wherein the rim that protrudes outwards is locatedin the smaller diameter section.
 5. The closing cap claim 1, wherein thehinged portion is formed by an extension of a substantially rectangularshape that at the upper end thereof is attached to the upper cap and atthe lower end thereof is attached to the lower ring, such extensionbeing devoid of fold lines.
 6. The closing cap according to claim 1,wherein the upper cap includes an abutment means configured for being incontact with a region of the neck of a container in the open position ofthe upper cap with respect to the lower ring.
 7. The closing capaccording to claim 6, wherein the abutment means is comprised of aflange that extends outwardly from the inside of the body that makes upthe upper cap and parallel to the hinged portion.
 8. The closing capaccording claim 1, being made of a single piece of injection mouldingplastic material.